Lionheart
by xShadow.of.the.Sunx
Summary: Running- it was the one thing that Leo was good at. For all her life, she couldn't remember a day when she'd not been running away from her past. But, what is she to do when the road she's taking ends? The story of an X-man. Wolverine Origins/Evolution.
1. Prologue

Well, I'm just cranking out new stories, huh? XD Well, here's one story I began one day when the power was out over the summer…

Prologue

It was the end.

I felt my heart leap in my chest as another barrage of attacks flew towards me.

_Yes_, I thought as bursting bombs brought down soldiers from enemy and ally alike; the end was coming.

It was my final stand, my last moment of life and, to my surprise, I found no regrets. I knew who I was and I knew where I belonged- which is something very few people will ever be able to say, even after a lifetime. But it wasn't easy- no, life never is. It's a story, a long, very true story that many don't want you to hear.

Screams echoed throughout the battlefield as more lives were snatched away. I would be next. It may seem like the worst time and place to tell you this, but reality makes it the only time.

My name is Leona Shye Howlett and I am an x-man, a fancy name for what lies underneath- a mutant.

This is my story- a story that begins with an end in hopes to find a road from the past towards a better future.

As I recall, my story also began like this; it began with the end.


	2. A Prelude to the Inevitable

For some reason, I think this may be one of my better written stories. Odd what a power outages does to your writing abilities, eh? Anywho, enjoy, and as per usual, I disclaim anything X-men related with the minimal exception of my character, Leo, and the crazy plot line I've thrown her into.

_**Chapter I**_

_**A Prelude to the Inevitable**_

I was going to die.

In my life, I'd never been as sure of anything as I was sure of this. It was the end of the line for me; a very short line for anyone. It was unavoidable and incongealable; I had few choices, all of which would lead to the same, inevitable end. It was be captured or run, with death at the end of each road.

"STOP!"

They were coming for me and they would never stop.

It never stopped. For so long, I'd been running and I'd known that after running for so long I'd eventually run out of road. The road ends here, now.

"HEY! WE'RE NOT GOING TO HURT YOU!"

In a silver blur, a teen my age appeared at my side as we dodged the branches and roots that filled the forest. I turned to face him, never slowing, and glared, tears slipping from my eyes. "You lie!" The boy gave a growl and reached out to grab hold of my arm. "Let go!" I slapped away his hand and glared, hatred scorching hot in my veins. "I won't go back there!" I threw my hands together to create a clap. The boy stepped forward to reclaim my arm, but suddenly stopped. The rain that had been pelting the earth paused in the air like little suspended diamonds. "What the h-" The echo of the wave expanded and washed over him like a tidal wave and froze him midsentence. But the wave didn't stop there. Trees rustling in the wind suddenly fell silent as limbs froze like ice; a large crooked willow had been swaying in melancholy, but now stood, stilled in a permanent pose. Nature and wildlife, although unseen, lost voice and fell to hushed, deafening silence. Time stood on end; time for that moment had _stopped_.

The girl turned quickly and continued to run.

I was different.

I wasn't like anyone else. Different- it was the reason I couldn't stop, why I was here now. I was a mutant, and normal people feared me. That's why they hunted me, chased me, hurt me. But what they didn't know was that of all the things in this world that I could be afraid of, it was them, these "normal people" that terrified me the most. Different…

These "people", the ones that pursue me now, in these woods… they claim that they want to help me. But no one can help me; not anymore. I was far beyond any saving…

A loud rustling in the brush propelled my feet faster.

A loud, angry roar filled the forest. Birds unaffected by time flew from their homes in fear. I wished with all my soul that I could join them, that I could fly away from what hunted me in favor for somewhere safe. It was wistful thinking.

A man, no, a _creature_ burst from the shadows created by a giant boulder on my right. Its eyes caught mine; and my racing heart came to a screeching halt in my chest and the tears in my eyes multiplied as fear incased my irises. Of course, he'd be the one to end me; he'd done it once before.

The man's grin grew into a smirk. He leapt from the trees and crushed the ground in front of me. His eyes said it all. It was like looking into the eyes of a predator who'd finally found his prey. It looked like a cat that'd cornered a mouse with nowhere else to go.

The man crouched low to the ground and snarled. My eyes grew wide and, instinctively, I began to step backward towards my only way out. "You killed her…" I whispered as my chest burned with fire and my heart ached in pain. The man, in response, could only laugh. His smile widened and he said, in a low, gruff voice, "I've killed a lot of people; you're going to have to be more specific, girly." I cringed and took a larger step back, but I made a mistake.

A loud crunch shattered the tense moment like glass. Like flame to gunpowder, a string of events began. The man kicked forward in a killing leap, his eyes glued to my jugular. A screech fell from my lips.

And like before, it all stopped.

The raindrops were strung on an invisible string and the creature was suspended in midair, not a foot before my face. A waterfall in the distance ceased its roaring and floated on gravity like miniature rainbows. His fangs were white and bared; his claws were outstretched towards me. It was almost the past...

I turned on my heel, tears still falling against my will. I ran.

As roads always are, they end. The same could be said about my situation; I'd come to the end.

I stumbled to a stop and looked over the edge of the cliff. Down below ran millions upon millions of gallons of raging water. Ice filled my veins and smothered the fire of hatred that had previously set the nerves into a frenzy of fear. I stepped away from the edge and turned in hopes of finding another way out of the labyrinth of a forest. I was met by a floating man.

The strange man wore a helmet and suit of metal. His face, for the most part, was shadowed. The man lifted his hand in offering and began in his alluring, authoritative voice, "I'm not here to harm you, my dear." I glared at his hand and inched backward. He took a step forward, revealing his features. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his true identity- he was an old man. "I've heard that line enough times," my voice fell as I stepped back again, "to know that it isn't true." The man lowered his arm, and for the briefest moment I swore I saw sadness in his eyes.

"It was the humans, child," his voice softened as his eyes clouded, "The humans were the one who hurt you. We mutants only want to help you. So, let us." He raised his hand again. "I raise my hand not to harm you, but to offer you what you've always wanted." "And what's that?" I asked quietly. "A family." His lips twitched into a tired smile. "I can promise you a world where humans will no longer be able to harm nor touch us. You'll be safe."

Safe.

It was a word I'd always heard, but never truly understood.

It was something I'd always dreamed of having.

I'd always wanted a family, a home- somewhere safe and filled with people who wouldn't care about being different.

"My child," he practically purred, "You're more special than you know, and those that are like you will see that, too. I ask you this- join my family and I will keep you safe. I promise that a human will never hurt you ever again."

Never again…

The words were sweeter than honey, and in his eyes, I found that I could believe him.

My eyes fell to my left arm. Slowly, I pulled up my jacket's sleeve to reveal the skin underneath. My fingers traced the six-digit number that was burned into it. My eyes lifted towards the man, who stared at my arm in awe. "You promise?" I whispered. The man grasped for words, for air until he eventually found what he was looking for. "I give you my word."

I stood idly in the rain. The moment seemed to last years. Finally, I made up my mind.

"Okay," I whispered with a small smile. I raised my hand to accept his invitation. He smiled genuinely, something I found very rare of the man, and grasped it. "Welcome home-" "ECHO!" A loud growl echoed throughout the forest and made me jump. My hand recoiled from the man in fear.

The beast-like creature from earlier dashed from the woods and charged over towards me. I leapt backwards, nearly toppling over the edge. My eyes grew wide as they switched from the beast to the man whose kind words I had accepted. In a flash, a blur of silver appeared behind the man in metal, "Pops! He's gone nuts!" The creature growled again; the sheer volume pushed me farther; the balls of my feet toppled off the edge. "Sabertooth!" The man threatened the beast with fury lacing his voice.

My eyes darted back and forth between the two as my mind created thousands of connections. "You lied," I whispered harshly. The man whipped his head back in a hurry; his eyes widened at my position, "No! I've not lied. Not to you, Echo!" My heart stopped. "Echo…"

"NO!" I yelled out, "You can't take me back there! I won't go back there!" "No, child, you don't understand!" The man cautiously took a step forward, his hands raised like a white flag. "We're not taking you anywhere you don't want to go!"

"It's all lies," I sobbed as tears cascaded down my face. "No!" He yelled, "Echo-" "My name isn't Echo! It's- it's what they named me…there…" I grabbed my head as the memories rushed back all at once. "I'd rather die!" I spat out before gasping for air, "Then become the military's pin cushion, again!" "No, we're not the military; we're mutants, just like-" "I won't go back!" The man reached to grab my arm. I pulled away, yelling. I didn't notice my footing. Not until it was too late.

"NO!" The man yelled as his hands met air. The blur sped forward in a last ditch effort. All I saw was his eyes glow with fear; and, as I fell, I saw my own mirrored eyes in them. I fell. The only break in the silence were the screams that fell from my lips as I fell down to my death.

I was going to die that day, I'd realized.

And died, I did.


	3. Lilacs and Lions

_**Chapter II**_

_**Lilacs and Lions**_

"Logan! LOGAN!"

Screams filled my ears.

In a split second, I sprung out of the bed, claws at the ready. My eyes searched the room franticly. "Half-pint," I spat with a glare. The brunette grimaced hesitantly as she phased out of the wall, "Sorry, Mr. Logan, but it's an emergency! The Professor wants everyone in his office, like, pronto. It's urgent!" I growled in response. She squeaked and phased through the wall and out into the hallway. I sighed and sat back down on the bed. I retracted my claws to clench the sides of my throbbing head.

This was the seventh night I'd had this nightmare, and, as the girl said, it always ended the same. In the end, she always falls. _Always_. No matter how hard I try, I can never change the dream; I never save her. And the weird thing is, is that I don't know who she is, except that she dies every night in my dreams and that I had the overwhelming feeling of needing to be there to save her, even if it cost me my life. I didn't know why, and it bothered me as much as having the stupid dream in the first place.

I sighed and stood up to get dressed. Now wasn't the time to ponder dreams; now, I had to meet with the Professor for "urgent" matters.

Omnipotent POV

"Sorry to wake you so early, but I'm afraid this is an urgent matter," Professor Xavier began as a beautiful African American woman escorted him into the room. The Professor wheeled his chair into the middle of the room to confront the team he had assembled.

"Cerebro has detected another mutant," Xavier announced to the room. "And you had us wake up at four in the morning, why?" Logan grouchily mumbled as he entered the room. Xavier nodded, "I'm afraid she needs our help, and fast." "What's the situation, Professor?" An older teen wearing a visor of some sorts over his eyes asked. "That's a good question, Scott." The Professor sighed, "One that I will answer once we've left. Her life depends on it." With that said, the team left the room and regrouped at their means of transportation- the X-jet.

The conversation resumed once the jet was on course and in the air.

"From what I've been able to gather," the Professor began, "She's been running for quite awhile, and her luck has finally run out. She's scared, terrified if you will. That's all I could gather before I lost her." "Lost her?" Jean asked. The Professor nodded, his face hardening, "Yes, I believe that we're not the only ones following her." Logan growled under his breath, "_Magneto_." The Professor simply nodded. "I," the professor rubbed his temples with a deep sigh, "I don't know very much about her; something's been messing with the connection I was able to make with her. Her mind, I'm afraid, is deteriorating; she doesn't know who to trust and her mentality is spiraling downward. She's in real trouble. If we don't reach her in time, she might be lost forever."

"What about her power, Professor?" Jean, the only red head on the mission, "Is it going to become a danger?" Professor sighed again; he turned his sight to the window, "That's the thing, Jean. I don't know. I wasn't able to find her power, or even her name. All I know is that she's…special."

Silence fell upon the cabin as the team- Kitty, Jean, Scott, the Professor, Ororo the beautiful African woman, and Logan- turned to look out the glass, all searching for a scared unknown girl who desperately needed their help.

"Like, where are we?"

"Canada," Logan grumbled as he glared from one snow dusted tree to the next. He sniffed lightly at the air, perplexed. Somehow the icy forest struck a chord; he just couldn't recall the source of the familiarity.

"This was the last place she was," the Professor frowned as he searched the tree line for answers. "It was only a few hours ago, so she should still be here." Logan grimaced as a faint stench hit his senses like a brick, "_Magneto._" "Where from?" Scott voiced, readying for a fight. Logan scoffed and crossed his arms, "Not here. He's been gone for a while. The smell's faint." "Is there anyone else?" The professor prompted from the ramp of the jet. Logan lifted his nose into the air and inhaled deeply. His eyebrows furrowed, but said nothing. "Alright," the professor nodded, "Split into groups of two and report any signs or discoveries you find." The formulated pairs- Ororo and the professor operating from the plane; Kitty and Logan, and Jean and Scott on foot- set off to search.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Kitty questioned as she shivered and rubbed her arms from the cold. Logan stopped, picking up another scent- the strange, faintest scent of pure fear. His eyes scanned the brush until they settled. "Something like that, half-pint." Logan scoffed and moved to investigate the site of a "struggle". "A bunch of twigs?" Kitty frowned, confused. Logan leaned down to inspect. He shifted through the mess of evergreen branches and debris of nature and produced a vital sign. "This must have been hers," he voiced as he brought the object closer to his face. "A pink ribbon?" He sniffed the object and scowled even deeper. Familiarity was a step closer. "Lilacs," he muttered. "What?" Logan growled; Kitty backed off. "I'm going to, like, search over there."

Logan stared at the mess before him. Lilac wasn't the only scent. "_Sabertooth."_ He could practically _feel_ his presence. He was here, for sure. It wouldn't be much of a push to say that he might have been the one chasing the girl in the first place- alongside Magneto, of course.

So Magneto'd pulled out all of the stops, Logan wondered, the ribbon twisting around his knuckles as a light wintry breeze caressed his hands. He'd wanted her _bad_, which brings up the question, _why?_

A faint cry in the distance set him on edge. Instantly, his claws penetrated the skin between his knuckles, ready to take on any oncoming obstacle. He froze, the cry becoming all the more familiar. "A baby?" Cautiously, he set foot onto the path leading to the noise.

The cry grew louder as he grew closer. Reaching out, he swatted a tree branch from his path to step into the clearing hidden behind it.

"Christ!" He shouted in alarm, the bladed claws reeling back into his skin as he ran forward to the source of the cry. His arms lifted the crimson infant into his arms and cradled the child closer to his chest. He held tightly to the child with one hand and used to other to scramble to his belt to unclip his only source of communication. "I need help!" He growled, panic over the injured child increasing as the red blotch on the infants white garments steadily grew in diameter.

"Don't die on me," he whispered as he fumbled to take off his jacket to wrap around the baby. A vice clamped on his heart as two tear-filled honey brown eyes pleaded for help. Blood covered her back and flowed from four large gashes that covered the tiny canvas and draped over the back of her shoulders. He pressed the material of his jacket harder to slow the bleeding. "We're-" The small radio he'd used to contact the team grew harder to understand as static swallowed a response.

"C'mon kiddo," Logan whispered as he huddled closer to block Jack Frost's wrath. The back of his fingers brushed over her pale cheeks- he shuttered when he found them colder than ice. A slight giggle caught him by surprise. His eyebrows knitted in confusion. Tears scattered down her face like snow falling from the sky, yet the brightest smile lit up her entire face. Her tiny little hands gripped his thumb; she brought it closer to her crimson covered self in an embrace. Her eyebrows lifted into the brown tuft of hair upon her head; the action mirrored his own.

The clamp squeezed almost painfully and he feared that his heart would burst. "…little lion," he whispered as a ghost of a smile crept upon his lips. The baby gave a giggle and kicked her legs to her hands as she hugged her tiny body to his hand. The entire sequence was like a scene from a long lost dream…

"…do you know me?" A light whisper on the wind carried his gaze from the year old angel to the figure who uttered the words. Behind him was a little girl who couldn't have been any older than six. A sudden loss of weight in his arms diverted his attention. His heart pounded in his chest and his lungs failed to produce oxygen; the bloodied infant was gone from his arms. All that remained was his dark, blood-free coat.

"Do you know me?" She whispered again as she stepped forward. A light breeze scattered the confined brown locks of her pigtails across her face. She lifted her pale fingers to swat the loose strands out of her honey eyes. Her daisy imprinted sundress ruffled with her movements, but remained otherwise silent.

"Where is she?" He asked, standing to his feet, the jacket still close to his chest as if still protecting the infant. The young girl before him looked remarkably like the baby, he thought. "Do you know me?" She smiled brightly; the move was odd and contrasted against her lips, blue from the cold. Again, the repeated question caught him by surprise. Did he know her?

The girl stepped within feet of him and sealed his suspicions. Marring her back, draped over her shoulders were four parallel scars.

"Little lion…" She repeated, her head tilting to the side joyously; "I haven't been called that for the longest time." "Who are you?"He retorted, stepping away. "Can you help me?" She whispered, her eyes growing glassy as the wind picked up. Logan remained silent as wisps of white swirled in spirals around the clearing.

"I," her eyebrows knotted as she struggled for words, "can't find my way."

Logan's blinked. "You're lost?" She nodded shyly. "I've can't find my way. Can you help me?" After a few minutes, her sad eyes broke him. A lost kid, he mused; sounds like he's found the mutant they'd come to Canada to find. Logan sighed, "Fine." Noticing the time lapse, he reached again for his belt and brought the radio to his lips, "Found her." The girl the professor had foretold to be in danger was finally found. "Here, kid," he muttered, tossing his jacket to the chilled, shivering child. Problem solved.

"Where are your parents?" He questioned. "I can't remember," she frowned, her eyes lighting with irritation as she failed to answer the seemingly simple question. He frowned, "How did you get out here?" She scowled. She didn't remember that either, he'd bet. "Alright, kid," he sighed as he scratched his neck. He glared at the unresponsive radio in his hand. He attached it back to his belt and crossed his arms, "What's your name?" Her scowl flipped instantly. She offered her small hand out with a great smile, "Leo!" Logan couldn't help but feel amused at the name; the earlier comment now made sense. Leo the lion. "Logan," he replied as he hesitantly accepted the handshake.

"So," Logan muttered, searching for the words he needed to express, "Where is it that you're trying to find?" Her eyes shined with focus as she struggled, "I have to go to the place where I can be found." Logan stared at the girl hard; the words were intricate, and in all sense made none. "You _have_ been found," Logan grumbled, his patience growing shorter with all of the questions. "No," she whispered sadly, "I haven't." Before he could say anything else, she'd grabbed his hand and started to pull him towards another direction. "This way!"

"This is where I always get lost," Leo frowned as she looked around- every tree looked exactly like the next. Her spirits fell; she squeezed Logan's hand and cuddled into the jacket. "It's always here." Logan glared heatedly at the winter-sprinkled trees. He silently cursed himself for allowing himself to be dragged around by a six year old. He should of picked her up, found Kitty (who was still MIA), and gone back to the jet. But he didn't, which wasn't completely unlike him. His eyes fell to the crestfallen little girl holding his hand as if it were her line to the world. It was all because of her…

"Cedar, Spruce, Redwood…" Her head fell to a rest on his hip; she yawned, "Willow, Pines…" _Willow_? Logan looked up to the line of trees. His eyes fell upon a certain unique landmark- a crooked willow tree. Instantly, the nightmare that had haunted him for days returned to his mind with full force.

_Trees rustling in the wind suddenly fell silent as limbs became stilled; __a large crooked willow__ had been swaying in melancholy, but now stood frozen in a permanent pose. Nature and wildlife, although unseen, lost voice and fell to hushed, deafening silence. Time stood on end; time for that moment had __**stopped**__._

His feet propelled him forward to follow the same path the terrified woman had treaded. This was her path; this was the road that led to the place where she can be found. It all made sense now.

Feet pattered against the frozen ground. Logan's breath heightened as he rushed with the little girl at his side. The landmarks in his dreams passed by- first, the willow; second, the boulder; third, the waterfall; and fourth… the cliff.

"This is where…" Her soft voice trailed off as her gaze was ensnared by the rivers beyond the cliffs. "It's where she died," Logan paled as the screams echoed off the canyon walls. "No," the girl shook her head. A zealous persona took over as a grin grew on her brightening face. Color began to return to her face and her lips were changing from frosty blue to a velvet red. Her brown eyes seemed to glow, matching the rest of her features. "I know where I am now!"

The little lion tugged his hand as she turned onto a new path and raced along the faint outline of the twisting trail downward to the shore.

"This is the way!" She shouted over the flow of the waters. In her excitement, she released his hand and raced across white blankets of snow and sand, heading away from the cliff and back into the forest, following a small stream that branched from the river into the woods. Logan raced after the exuberant girl. He followed her excited cries and the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs. A flash of white and yellow daisies caught his eyes; he followed suit and burst out of the greenery. The girl turned on her heel and beamed a toothy grin, "Thank-you! I'm not lost anymore!" Her giggles echoed before her figure began to fade. Soon, the girl was gone.

Logan was at a loss for words.

The girl, the baby; the ghost, the vision. Both were gone, but now replaced by something _real._

She was there, lying on a patch of green grass surrounded by snowy tundra. Lilacs cushioned her body and acted as a sort of blanket against the cold. Her long dark brown hair was messy and thrown across her waist. Her eyes were closed, and the lids were dark with lack of sleep. Her skin was pale and her frame was thin from malnutrition. Blood and broken bones burst from bruised and battered skin, all of which were probably caused by a long fall from a high place. She was dressed in tattered dark jeans and a ripped crimson-spotted white blouse. She looked like she was sleeping; she was at peace, a feat that the teen very seldom felt. But the most noticeable thing was what he'd seen in his dream.

The grass was encased as eternal spring. The grass remained a vibrant green, untouched by winter. Lilacs formed a crown around her head, bloomed and never to die. Tendrils of her hair had been ensnared by the wind, and had remained captured; a small pair of sparrows, whom had swooped into the dome of spring, shared the same fate. Falling snowflakes fell everywhere except for the invisible dome around her body; the flakes fell into the dome and stuck, stranded in the air. Everything in that small spot had simply _**stopped**_.

But that didn't change what needed to be done. The girl needed help, _fast._

Logan stepped forward and kneeled down onto the grass. "Let's get you home, Leo," he whispered as he reached down and slid his hands carefully underneath her and lifted her off the ground. Like a chain of dominoes, all seemed to release. Chirping rang in the forest as the sparrows were set free. They flew off into the treetops and twisted away into the sky. The cluster cloud of snowflakes fell to sprinkle the grass and lilacs. And as if she were holding her breath, the teen inhaled a deep breath of air, a sure sign of her return to the living, yet her eyes remained shut.

"LOGAN!" The shout came from his radio.

Shifting her into a one arm hold, he reached for the device and brought it to his lips. "'Bout time," he grumbled. "Logan! Where are you?" The Cyclops frantically demanded. Logan glanced around, "Near trees." "Doesn't matter, we've got you on radar. We lost you for awhile." Logan thought hard on that; he'd been _lost_. "What?" The Cyclops seemed to understand, "Something was messing with the signal; all of our technology was out- even the _compass_!"

Logan's eyes fell upon the girl; he chuckled, a challenging smirk crossing his lips. "Well, well; I have to hand it to the professor. You're one special kid." "Did you find any sign of the girl, Logan?" The professor asked urgently. "I'll do you one better," he replied as he stood from his crouch. "I _found _the girl." The professor let out a sigh of relief.


	4. Waking from the Nightmare

_**Chapter 3**_

_**Waking from the Nightmare**_

"_So, what should we do today, little Leo?"_

_The blackness that reigned crumbled under the soft voice. Blue-green eyes broke the barrier and soon a face and place accompanied them. _

_The woman was beautiful and so full of life. She had long brown curls, curls which were mirrored in her only and most beloved child. The woman's eyes sparkled as they darted from the road and the forest that surrounded it to the bubbly infant in the backseat. "Daddy's at work, so it's just us girls today." The year old little girl giggled, the small patch of brown curls bouncing as she clapped her hand's in glee. "That 'a girl," she laughed as she turned back to face the deserted pavement. _

_There was a man in the road. _

_Reluctantly, the car slowed to a stop. A small, dangerous smirk grew upon the man's face as he slowly sauntered forward as if he were the hunter stalking his prey, which, as time would later reveal, would be exactly the case. As he drew closer, the woman's grip tightened on the steering wheel. Her eyes trained wearily upon the monster that drew closer. _

_His hands were at his side. Nearly in an instant, claws extended from his fingertips. Said claws traced the hood lightly, leaving screeches and scars in its wake._

_Soon following were several more- screams, cries, wails, scars. The monster's actions were quick and fierce. Even to a baby, the scenes that would follow would never be erased. Her mother was dragged from the car; she didn't even have time to scream. A breath later, the man reappeared to finish his mission. He reached into the back and gingerly cut each strap of the car seat before lifting the crying child into his arms. Frowning, he said, "It's nothing personal, kiddo. If it was a different circumstance, I think we'd really hit it off." He sighed as he reached the bloodied body of the mother. "Goodbye…"_

_Black began to return, as the memory of the bright-eyed woman was lost to darkness._

"…_ECHO…"_

"NO!"

The brunette sat up quickly, heart racing and eyes filled with terror. Her honey brown eyes darted around the small, sunlit room as her breaths became heavier and scarcer. Her hands gripped the sheets and her body tensed atop the bed. She clenched her eyes shut and struggled for air.

"You're awake, Leo!"

Leo's POV

"No!" I shouted with a gasp as I slid off the bed and scrambled for the corner of the room. Once huddled safely on three sides, I turned to the invader and glared, "Go away!"

The blue haired boy nervously waved his hand, "Erm, you misunderstand! I'm a good guy!" His words were heavily accented- German, perhaps? "There's no such thing!" I retorted, eyes searching desperately for an escape. A small window sat upon the western wall; a door was on the right. The boy was oblivious to my plans; he continued to talk, "You're safe here! We're all like you. We're mutants-" I dashed for the door. The boy was stunned from the sudden action; my escape was successful.

The door, luckily, was unlocked. So, throwing it open and rushing through the doorway was a cinch. I barreled down the hallways. Several doors paved the walls; a soft ruby carpet complimented the tan palette. At the end of the hallways was an open room; I dashed in and looked around for refuge. Finding the closet to be the only promise, I ran inside and closed the door behind me. And not a minute too soon- footsteps and shouts soon echoed throughout the hallway. 

"Kurt! What'd you do?"

"Nothing! I swear! She just freaked out and left!"

"Well, you had to have done somethin'! People don't just run off for no reason."

I shifted nervously towards the back of the dark closet and curled up behind a few hanging garments. Where was I? How'd I get here? Who were all of these people?

_Leo._

My heart jilted as I practically jumped out of my skin. I glanced out of the slits upon the closet doors to find an empty room.

_Leo, can you hear me?_

The voice was male. He sounded confident, kind.

I nodded dumbly in response.

_I need you to know that we mean you no harm. We're here to help you-_

"_Lies!" I screamed silently at the voice. _My hands flew to my head as I recoiled farther into a curled ball.

_We won't force you, Leo. We sincerely wish nothing more than to help you. I, as well as all of the others like us, hope that you will let us._

Seeing that a voice in the mind is inescapable, I responded.

"_Like…us…"_

_Mutants, like you, like me. We're all very different, yet we all share a common goal of peace. _

"_Mutants…"_

I stared at my hands and rested my temple atop my knee. Different, mutant, peace- all were words I'd heard countless times, and even more often together, but never in that sequence.

_My name is Charles Xavier. You're currently at the Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, or the Xavier Institute, a school and a safe haven for mutants. You've been a hard person to find; we were quite worried about you._

"_Worried?" _My eyebrows furrowed and my fists clenched, "_Why?"_

_You were in need of help._

Help?

I suppose it was true. I thought I was going to die, and, although I'll never admit it aloud, I prayed for help. All hopes, however, diminished once I hit the water. My memory, after that, became blurry.

Blue eyes and an awkward smile. The sound of a low, grumbling voice and sliding metals.

"_Can you tell me…"_

_Yes?_

"_Who was it that saved me?"_

_Ah, that would be Logan. He, too, has been quite worried. _He chuckled. _Yet, he's stubborn, so I doubt he'll ever admit it, Leo. _

I don't know why, but I smiled. The idea was familiar, although as to how, I would never know.

"_It's Leona."_

_Your name?_

"_Yes. My name is Leona Shye Howlett."_

Through the connection, I could feel the kindness he contained. I could feel his warm, accepting smile.

I heard the faint sound of wheels turning before me. I looked up to see someone- a man- in a wheelchair beyond the doors. Compelled by a phantom courage, I pushed away the clothes hanging from the horizontal bar and set my hands on the knobs to the doors. I hesitated. A slight pull in my mind encouraged me to take the leap of faith. I grasped the handles and pulled open the doors.

A bald, older-looking man with a small, kind smile was behind the once closed doors. I nervously hid partially in the shadows behind one door and peered curiously out. "Welcome, Leona Shye Howlett." Behind him in the doorway stood several curious teens, each one more unique then the last. Once they caught my glance, they all smiled invitingly. "Welcome!"


End file.
